THE WAY PEOPLE TRAVEL – getting people to their destinations efficiently with MAN and NEOPLAN buses

An overview of the MAN and NEOPLAN range of products

Whether it's travelling within a city from bus stop to bus stop or regional travel between cities - people expect buses to get them to their destinations quickly, flexibly and reliably. THE WAY PEOPLE TRAVEL is the slogan under which the well-known bus brands MAN and NEOPLAN present themselves. MAN draws on more than 90 years' experience of commercial vehicle manufacture. The premium brand NEOPLAN offers attractively designed coaches built to a high level of comfort and safety. MAN and NEOPLAN brand bus chassis and complete buses are developed and produced at plants in Germany, Mexico, Poland, South Africa and Turkey. There are also licensees in various countries.

Buses of the MAN brand are designed for reliable, efficient and cost-conscious operation in all areas of local, intercity and touring transport. MAN's city buses and its competence in engines and suspensions enjoy a world-wide reputation. These components, as well as complete chassis are highly regarded by many other bus manufacturers and for this reason are purchased from MAN. Almost the entire range of buses is equipped with the most modern and cleanest EEV (Enhanced Environmentally-friendly Vehicle) engines, which are based on the additive-free MAN PURE DIESEL® technology. Their exhaust-gas values are better than those stipulated by the Euro 5 standard currently in force. With large-capacity concepts such as the overlong articulated buses or the biggest regular service double-decker in Europe, MAN city buses contribute meaningfully to the reduction of per-head CO2 emissions (values of under 10 g up to 50 g per passenger-kilometre). Alternative and innovative drive systems such as diesel-electric hybrid drives, natural gas and biogas engines are currently in the focus of the brand and will shape the future of local transport for many years to come. The city bus in particular is predestined for such drives and is leading the way internationally.

The MAN range of buses

In 2012, the city buses, intercity buses and touring coaches of the MAN brand comprised four series:

MAN city bus: Lion's City

The city buses from MAN operated by municipal transport services and companies in local public transport exhibit various technical features: the air-sprung low-floor front axle is outstanding for its ride comfort and for reducing movement of the body. The rear axle with its four-bellows suspension requires very little installation space thanks to its portal design with planetary hub. This makes itself positively felt in the lower height of the floor throughout and an entrance height that is lower by 320 millimetres. The central aisle is without steps or platforms. Opposite Door 2 there is a generous amount of space for baby carriages and passengers in wheelchairs. A wheelchair ramp and a folding seat for the escort are optionally available. Safety is standard on MAN buses: the electronic braking system EBS, anti-blocking system ABS and anti-slip regulator ASR are all standard equipment, as are the fire-alarm system for the engine compartment which outputs a warning to the driver, and the double-shelled bulkhead separating the engine from the passenger compartment.

The common-rail engines with MAN PURE DIESEL® technology do not require any additional operating fluids such as AdBlue and can be installed either vertically or horizontally. The EEV-compliant engines are fitted with electronically-controlled, clog-free CRTec® particulate filters, which eliminate almost all of even the smallest particles from the exhaust gas. As an alternative to diesel engines, MAN also offers various MAN Lion's City models with the especially eco-friendly natural-gas engine. The six-cylinder engine outputs 272 hp (200 kW) or 310 hp (228 kW). Depending on the operating profile, there are two automatic transmissions to choose from: the ZF EcoLife with the TopoDyn Life gear-change program and the Voith DIWA.5 with the SensoTop gear-change program.

Timelessly modern: the MAN Lion's City has won the iF Award for design twice, while the hybrid variant won the "red dot award: product design 2011" for excellent design quality.

The wide range of MAN low-floor city buses starts with the MAN Lion's City M, which was presented at the Busworld fair in 2011. This bus scores points for operation in particularly narrow, tightly-packed inner cities thanks to its compact dimensions, a wheelbase of 4.39 metres and a turning circle of only 18 metres. The model with vertical D08 common-rail engine in tower design comes with either two or three doors.

The "classic” member of the range is the low-floor MAN Lion's City solo bus with the horizontal MAN D20 common-rail engine in underfloor design. The Euro 6 engine for horizontal installation in this bus was premiered at the Busworld 2011. MAN successfully integrated the new Euro 6 exhaust-gas cleaning technology for the 320-hp engine in such a way that no seats were lost. The engine unites the two technologies that have proven themselves at MAN: EGR (cooled exhaust-gas recirculation) and SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction). Two components were newly developed by MAN and integrated into the city bus: the MAN-SCRT system - a compact exhaust-gas aftertreatment system - and the on-board diagnostics stipulated for Euro 6, with permanent emission control and multi-stage monitoring of the urea additive AdBlue.

The MAN Lion's City with vertical D08 engine in tower design has a slightly larger passenger capacity than the model in which the engine is mounted horizontally.

The three-axle MAN Lion's City L models and the one metre shorter MAN Lion's City C are equipped with an actively-steered third axle. The shorter vehicle length is outstanding for its improved compactness and greater manoeuvrability with a passenger capacity comparable to that of its two-axle counterpart.

With space for over 150 seated and standing passengers, it is the articulated buses which offer the greatest capacity. Besides the standard 18-metre long MAN Lion's City G articulated bus, MAN also offers the MAN Lion's City GL. This articulated bus is unique on a growing market: with the maximum permitted length of 18.75 metres it increases capacity by an additional 14 passengers.

The MAN Lion’s City DD double-decker city bus has more than forty years of MAN double-decker competence behind it. The "Big Yellows" from MAN have been a famous sight on Berlin's streets for many years. Over 400 of them have been delivered to the German capital since 2011.

A new variant of the successful MAN Lion's City series now available is the Low Entry model. It is based on the proven low-floor concept with its low entrance height but offers the raised seat position from Door 2 and meets customer demand for more seats in the direction of travel. One of the benefits of the vehicles produced in MAN's Polish bus plant in Starachowice: their overall height of 2.88 metres is the lowest on the market, enabling them to be operated in the most confined spaces in the inner city.

Market leader for natural-gas-powered city buses

For several years already, MAN's natural-gas engines have bettered the requirements of the voluntary EEV (Enhanced Environmentally-friendly Vehicle) standard by a good margin, without having to employ complex exhaust-gas aftertreatment systems. CNG engines from MAN are very much a future-oriented solution to enable operation in inner-city environmental zones. MAN is the market leader, having sold over 5,000 gas-powered buses and bus chassis with gas-powered engines. The foundations of this success are the natural-gas-powered engines of the E08 and E28 series. The E08 engine with a capacity of 6.9 litres is produced in three output classes: 220 hp, 250 hp and 280 hp. This engine, which weighs a mere 650 kilograms dry, is currently offered by MAN exclusively to external bus manufacturers for installation in their products. The MAN Lion's City range is fitted with the 12.8-litre E28 engine, available with outputs of 272 hp and 310 hp.

MAN Lion's City Hybrid

As part of its efforts to actively shape the development of sustainable mobility, MAN collaborates with universities and other research partners in many projects that will shape the future. The increased importance of this issue is reflected in the series launch of the MAN Lion's City Hybrid at the IAA 2010. The number of hybrid buses sold reached significant double digits in 2011. The bus is already operating successfully in regular service in various major European cities. The hybrid bus in MAN's fleet has a particular standing, one that has been recognised in the form of several awards. For the attractive design of the bus MAN received the coveted "red dot award: product design 2011", while in Spain, it was voted "Autobús del Año 2011". The panel of judges for the renowned environmental prize "OekoGlobe 2011" awarded the MAN Lion's City Hybrid third prize in the category "Vehicle innovations in public transport".

The major part in the winning of these awards was played by the serial hybrid technology, which reduces diesel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 30 percent. Operation in urban traffic is the ideal scenario for the utilisation of braking energy. City buses accelerate an untold number of times to a speed of between 40 and 50 kilometres an hour, only to decelerate to a standstill again shortly afterwards. Conventional buses transform the kinetic energy to wasted heat when they decelerate, while the MAN Lion's City Hybrid stores the braking energy in its ultracap high-performance energy storage system to accelerate quietly away from the bus stop again, protecting the environment as it does so. Depending on the charge of the ultracaps, the extent to which the vehicle is loaded and the topography, the hybrid bus can run up to several hundred metres purely on electricity. This means that local residents and passengers in the immediate vicinity of the bus stops are largely spared noise and exhaust gas. However, it isn't only near bus stops that the integrated start/stop system saves valuable fuel. The MAN Lion's City Hybrid is also suitable for operation with second generation biofuels, which improves the already exemplary CO2 balance still further. At an average mileage of 60,000 kilometres per year the MAN hybrid bus saves the environment approximately around 10,000 litres of diesel fuel or up to 26 tonnes of greenhouse gas.

MAN Lion's City LE intercity bus

The MAN plant in Ankara is where the 12-metre long low entry MAN Lion's City LE intercity buses are produced. These are particularly economical vehicles to operate with their air-sprung hypoid rear axles and EEV-compliant versions of the vertically installed 290-hp D08 engines because there is no need for complex underfloor components. Passengers sit higher up at the back, just like in a touring coach, while the area between Door 1 and Door 2 has a low floor throughout and is thus particularly suitable for older or physically challenged passengers. They are further assisted in that most of the seats are arranged in the direction of travel. The intercity version, MAN Lion's City LE Ü, is fitted with bigger tyres for increased ground clearance.

MAN Lion's Regio intercity bus

The MAN Lion's Regio with a floor height of 860 mm and a vehicle height of 3.4 metres occupies the high-floor area of the intercity segment, whose representatives are often put to use for short tours on weekends. With coach seating, galley and toilet it is configurable for excursions. This is why the MAN Lion's Regio is often called "the double-income earner" or "the best of both worlds", because it proves itself in regular service during the week and on excursions over the weekend. It is fitted with an interchangeable platform and optionally with a wheelchair lift in the rear entrance. For the seventh time in a row it was the readers' choice as the top intercity bus in an annual poll of the best commercial vehicles carried out by a German publishing group. With windows that extend extremely far down, the prize-winning modern design combines the elements of a regular-service bus with the attributes of a full-blooded touring coach. The impression of generous spaciousness is due to the large areas of glazing on each side, lots of headroom and the big, open luggage racks. MAN offers three versions of the Regio: two two-axle vehicles, 12.25 metres long with 49 to 55 seats, and as the MAN Lion's Regio C, 13.01 metres long with a maximum of 59 seats. The 13.90-metre long three-axle MAN Lion's Regio L has between 57 and 63 seats. The suspension of the MAN Lion's Regio is based on the fully-fledged and rugged design of the MAN touring coaches. The rear axle is thus a hypoid axle, which is supplemented by an adhesion-steered trailing axle on the three-axle version.

By contrast, the horizontally installed D20 common-rail engines with their 320 and 360 hp originate in the city-bus segment. With their electronically-controlled CRTec® particulate filters they comply with the EEV standard, a highly regarded attribute particularly in public transport. Top of the line is the 400-hp version, whose maintenance-free MAN PM-KAT® enables it to meet the currently applicable Euro 5 standard.

MAN Lion's Coach touring coach

For many years now, touring coaches in the MAN Lion's Coach range have been distinguished by their reputation for combining great reliability and ruggedness with visual elegance. The MAN Lion's Coach is a comfortable team bus for several internationally renowned football clubs. The top-of-the-range "Supreme" design package with the sickle-like aluminium element on the B post that distinguishes the brand and the chrome highlighter on the radiator with its MAN-typical ribbing elegantly enhances this touring coach. The various versions of the Lion’s Coach take between 44 and 63 passengers, depending on the length of the vehicle (12 metres, 13.26 metres as MAN Lion's Coach C or 13.80 metres as MAN Lion’s Coach L) and its class of fittings. The level, stepless floor with its top-quality wood-look covering is one that will never be stumbled on. Selecting the optionally available Xenon lights including headlight cleaning system is a contribution to enhanced safety as they provide noticeably better illumination of the road ahead. Propulsion is a matter for the powerful MAN common-rail EEV-compliant diesel engines delivering 400, 440 or 480 hp. The vehicles are equipped as standard with six-speed manual transmission, while the 12-speed MAN TipMatic® Coach automated transmission is available as an option. In conjunction with the MAN TipMatic® the fuel-saving eco transmission ratio of i = 3.08 promotes economy.

The NEOPLAN range of buses

In 2010, the NEOPLAN premium bus brand celebrated its 75th anniversary. Since 2001 the brand has belonged to MAN Truck & Bus AG. NEOPLAN, with its exclusive, premium coaches appeals particularly to customers who want to offer their VIP guests an extravagant travel experience, because the brand sets standards in technology, ergonomics and design.

The NEOPLAN range of touring coaches comprises four series:

Series

Lengths

EEV engines

High-decker touring coach segment: NEOPLAN Tourliner

NEOPLAN Tourliner

Two-axle: 12.00 mLuggage compartment: 10 m³

MAN D20 LOH 400 hpMAN D26 LOH 440 hp

NEOPLAN Tourliner C

Three-axle: 13.26 mLuggage compartment: 10.70 m³

MAN D26 LOH 440 / 480 hp

NEOPLAN Tourliner L

Three-axle: 13.80 mLuggage compartment: 11.50 m³

MAN D26 LOH 440 / 480 hp

High-decker touring coach segment: NEOPLAN Cityliner

NEOPLAN Cityliner

Two-axle: 12.24 mLuggage compartment: 9.40 m³

MAN D20 LOH 400 hpMAN D26 LOH 440 hp

NEOPLAN Cityliner C

Three-axle: 12.99 mLuggage compartment: 10.40 m³

MAN D26 LOH 440 / 480 hp

NEOPLAN Cityliner L

Three-axle: 13.99 mLuggage compartment: 11.40 m³

MAN D26 LOH 440 / 480 hp

Super-high-decker touring coach segment: NEOPLAN Starliner

NEOPLAN Starliner C

Three-axle: 12.99 mLuggage compartment: 11.80 m³

MAN D26 LOH 505 hp

NEOPLAN Starliner L

Three-axle: 13.99 mLuggage compartment: 12.60 m³

MAN D26 LOH 505 hp

Double-decker touring coach segment: NEOPLAN Skyliner

NEOPLAN Skyliner

Three-axle: 13.99 mLuggage compartment: 11.00 m³

MAN D26 LOH 505 hp

The Cityliner, Starliner and Skyliner all share a common feature: the striking, so-called "Sharp Cut" design. Clear lines and clean edges in glass and metal give the NEOPLAN buses their unmistakeable look. Their aerodynamic and striking design has won the NEOPLAN buses several prestigious international honours such as the red dot and the iF Award. The "Coach of the Year" title and wins in several readers' polls run by trade magazines show what a positive impression NEOPLAN buses make on trade journalists and bus operators. By tradition, the NEOPLAN brand is synonymous with innovation and technological progress and will continue to be so in future. Innovative safety systems like ESP, ACC or LGS were first used in NEOPLAN vehicles. The practical multifunction steering wheel, comfort drive suspension and active cornering lights were firsts by NEOPLAN in the entire bus market. This combination of technology, safety and comfort is what we at NEOPLAN call "VIP Driving". The top-class MAN components such as suspension, steered trailing axle and engines also make their contribution.

NEOPLAN Tourliner

The Tourliner, NEOPLAN's entrance-level model, impresses with modern design and elegant fittings. Operators admire it as a rugged vehicle for both long and short trips. Proven MAN technology is installed in the Tourliner: front axle with independent wheel suspension and disk brakes, hypoid rear axle and six-cylinder common-rail engines from 400 to 480 hp. There is a choice of two transmissions: standard is a six-speed manual transmission with joystick gear-change, while a 12-speed MAN TipMatic® Coach automated transmission with MAN EasyStart function and manoeuvring mode is available as an option The high-decker touring coach comes in three lengths and seats between 44 and 63 passengers. The NEOPLAN Tourliner is fitted as standard with the electronic stability program, which, together with the electronic braking system with braking assistant and maximum speed control, sets a new benchmark for the standard touring coach segment.

NEOPLAN Cityliner

For decades the NEOPLAN Cityliner has shaped the European coach market and is a real bestseller amongst high-decker coaches. In 2007, the current Cityliner model was the first bus ever to win the "red dot: best of the best" international design prize. The design features of the NEOPLAN - the "Sharp Cut" with the elegant lines of the roof's edge and the tinted panes - caused a sensation when launched at the IAA 2006. The interior with its high, freely suspended luggage racks makes an extremely generous impression. The light ceiling, high-quality material and smooth lines create a superbly elegant ambience.

The basic model in the series is the two-axle NEOPLAN Cityliner, whose 12.24-metre length offers space for up to 55 passengers. Thanks to its extra 75 centimetres of length, the three-axle NEOPLAN Cityliner C is significantly more spacious. Depending on the equipment variant, it has space for between 50 and 55 passengers. Top of the range is the three-axle NEOPLAN Cityliner L with a length of 13.99 metres. Its electro-hydraulically steered trailing axle gives the three-axle NEOPLAN Cityliner a small turning circle as well as great ease of manoeuvrability with low tyre wear. Engines for the NEOPLAN Cityliner range from 400 to 440 and 480 hp. They all meet the demanding EEV emissions standard thanks to AdBlue-free MAN PURE DIESEL® technology.

Safety of the passengers has top priority. This starts with the NEOPLAN SafetyCabin with integrated rollover bars in line with the strength mandated by Directive ECE-R66, reinforced side-wall links and forebody structure, and continues with a string of assistant systems. Electronic stability program ESP and maximum speed control MSC are standard. Adaptive cruise control, lane guard system and electronically-controlled comfort drive suspension are also all available. The NEOPLAN Cityliner was the first coach in its class to be fitted with a cornering light which considerably improves vision in tight bends and when turning off with its enlarged light cone.

NEOPLAN Starliner

The NEOPLAN Starliner plays a leading role in the premium super-high-decker segment. This is demonstrated by its popularity with customers and its unmistakable "Sharp Edge Design". Its special feature is the SkyLights concept, with enormous panorama windscreen and glazing along the edge of the roof, enhancing the impression of wide-open space. The approximately four-metre high, three-axle vehicle comes in two different lengths. Both have a rear-mounted 505-hp MAN engine with automated 12-speed MAN TipMatic® Coach transmission. Cornering lights, ESP and CDS are all fitted as standard, while additional safety systems such as ACC and LGS are optional.

Inside the NEOPLAN Starliner one sees just how comfortable coach travel can be for passengers. With seat spacing of 900 mm (5-star standard) it provides up to 50 seats, while the 4-star spacing of 830 mm provides room for up to 54 seats in addition to those for driver and courier in each case. Generously dimensioned, lockable luggage flaps create an aircraft-like ambience and of course, safely stow all hand baggage.

A plus in terms of individuality and refinement for the NEOPLAN Starliner, as well as for the Skyliner and Cityliner, is what the NEOPLAN Individual equipment variant promises. This range includes high-class handrails and handles of stainless steel, carbon- or wood-look, real wooden floors, stowage compartments, stand-up kitchen, luxury seats with embroidered brand emblem and luxurious, leather-upholstered seats.

NEOPLAN Skyliner

In 1967, NEOPLAN surprised the branch with the world's first double-decker touring coach: the Skyliner. The fifth generation of the NEOPLAN Skyliner, which can be delivered from 2012 on, continues the tradition of the top coach league. The current model draws on the "Sharp Cut Design" of its NEOPLAN siblings, the Starliner and the Cityliner. Clear lines and clean edges in glass are combined with sophisticated aerodynamics to achieve a drag coefficient (cw) of only 0.41, a value so far unequalled by any other double-decker coach. This reduces fuel consumption, CO2 emission and wind noises for the passengers. Suitable propulsion is provided by the economical MAN six-cylinder common-rail engine in MAN PURE DIESEL® technology, which delivers 505 hp. The coach is fitted as standard with the automated MAN TipMatic® Coach transmission, which has a special manoeuvring mode and the EasyStart function for pulling away. In addition to cornering lights and the well-known assistant systems such as ACC and LGS, electronically-controlled comfort drive suspension (CDC) has been installed in a double-decker for the very first time. This system decreases rolling and pitching movements of the body, resulting in both greater safety and greater comfort for the passengers.

There is space for up to 83 seats in the three-axle NEOPLAN Skyliner. Two wide doors and a low entrance height of less than 36 centimetres make for comfortable access to the lower deck. With its standing height of 1.81 metres and a wide aisle, it makes an even more spacious impression than one would expect. The upper deck presents itself as a luxurious rest area suffused with light with a standing height of 1.68 metres.

The side windows running up into the roof, the new windows in the domed front above the first row of seats and big roof windows - NEOPLAN calls this concept "SkyLights". Double-decker coaches are a big challenge for keeping the interior air-conditioned. Thanks to the newly developed dual-zone air-conditioning system, the driver is able to regulate temperatures on the upper and lower decks separately from each other better than ever before.